January 02, 2023 02:41 pm | Updated 02:41 pm IST

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“P oliteness and courteousness are a small price to pay for the goodwill of others.” So goes a quote which reminds me of a person who was impeccably courteous to us and no doubt earned our goodwill.

Recently, I, along with my family, paid a visit to the Tirumala temple. After darshan, it was late afternoon when we reached the hotel room. We were extremely tired and badly needed some coffee. We went to a nearby restaurant. The sun was shining with all its might and our heads started throbbing, making us feel the need for coffee all the more. But the restaurant could not offer us what we wanted as it was too early for them to serve tea or coffee.

As we were returning to our hotel room, we spotted another lodging with a dining signboard outside. We enquired with the manager about the cafeteria. He immediately invited us with all courteousness and made us sit on the reception sofa. He politely conveyed to us that the cafeteria was only for the guests who took a room in their lodging. As we were about to get up and make a move, he offered to give us coffee. As steaming hot cups of coffee were arriving, he had some polite conversation with us in the middle of his work. After having the hot drink, we profusely thanked him.

The story did not end there. When we asked him for the bill, he politely declined to take any money from us!

Though being polite takes little effort on our part, it speaks volumes of our character. Well! All said and done, though this quality can be tagged as priceless, it sure gets long-standing goodwill from others. Isn’t it?

As a famous author, Nicias Ballard Cooksey, once remarked, “Certainly every man can be courteous, for it costs nothing, and is within the ability of all.”

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